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ANNOUNCEMENT TO CANDIDATES: April 2010

Intercollegiate Membership Examination of the Surgical Royal Colleges ofGreat Britain and Ireland

Replacement of MRCS Parts 1 and 2 Multiple Choice Questions(MCQ)

with Part A (MCQ) Renaming of MRCS Part 3 Time Limitations and Number of Attempts Introduction of New Regulations (January 2011)

Replacement of MRCS Parts 1 and 2 (MCQ) with Part A (MCQ)

1. Commencing with the diet to be held in January 2011, the Part 1 and Part 2(MCQ) written papers detailed in the MRCS Regulations (dated June 2006

revised April 2009) will be replaced by the Part A (MCQ) written paper for allnew candidates. Candidates taking Part A for the first time in or afterJanuary 2011 will do so under new Regulations (January 2011).

2. Candidates who have already passed either Part 1 or Part 2 by 31December 2010 may continue under the current Regulations (dated June2006 revised April 2009) for the remaining Part 1 or Part 2 paper and willhave until 30 April 2011 to pass the Part 1 or Part 2 (MCQ) paper theyrequire to progress to the next part of the MRCS examination under the newMRCS Regulations (January 2011) (see 7 below).

3. Candidates continuing under the current Regulations (dated June 2006revised April 2009) to take either Part 1 or Part 2 who have not passed bothPart 1 andPart 2 (MCQ) papers by 30 April 2011 will be required to enterand pass Part A (MCQ) under new MRCS Regulations (January 2011) inorder to progress to the next part of the MRCS examination. A previouspass in either Part 1 or Part 2 will not be taken into account in the award ofPart A (MCQ).

4.1 Part A (MCQ)

4.1.1 Part A is a four hour MCQ examination consisting of twopapers, each of two hours duration, taken on the same day.

4.1.2 The marks for both papers are combined to give a total markfor Part A.

4.1.3 The papers cover generic surgical sciences and appliedknowledge, including the core knowledge required in all ninespecialties as follows:

Paper 1 - Applied Basic Sciences MCQ paper, comprising

Single Best Answer Questions

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time-expired. After 2013 this examination will be offered as Part B (oral,clinical and communication skills) under the January 2011 regulations (see6. above).

Overarching principle of entry into the MRCS

Candidates who become time-expired under the June 2006 revised April 2009regulations, or who become attempt-expired under the January 2011 regulationsare not permitted to apply for any component/part of the MRCS examinationunder any set of regulations.